1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and method for coupling a battery to a mobile terminal capable of maintaining a reliable contact even upon an external impact or deformation of a case of the mobile terminal utilizing an improved connection structure between a main body of a mobile terminal and a battery connected to the main body.
2. Description of the Related Art
A mobile terminal provides multimedia and internet access, and voice and data transmission. The mobile terminal may have a camera for transmitting and/or receiving image shots from other mobile terminals.
In general, a mobile terminal is a communication device a user conveniently carries to make voice transmission/reception to and from another party anywhere. With the rapid development of information communication technologies, a mobile terminal may provide internet connectivity, TV reception, still image or video photographic capability, and image or video transmission/reception capability. Mobile terminals with such functionality are used in a wide variety of applications.
The mobile terminal is provided with a battery. The battery is detachably attached to the mobile terminal and is rechargeable.
A contact terminal is electrically connected to a power terminal of the battery. The contact terminal is coupled to a battery mounting portion of the mobile terminal coupled to the battery.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional mobile terminal.
As shown therein, the conventional mobile terminal includes a main body 10. A battery 20 which is detachably attached to the main body 10 supplies power to the conventional mobile terminal.
The main body 10 is provided with a main body case 15 forming an exterior and a main board, not shown, in which a circuit component, not shown, is mounted within the main body case 15. A battery receiving portion 50 formed on an inner side of the main body case 15 receives the battery 20.
A lock 25 is provided along one side of the battery receiving portion 50 to prevent detachment of the battery 20 from the main body 10. A recessed portion 45 couples to a coupling block 60 of the battery 20 on another side of the battery receiving portion 50. An input/output connector 30 exchanging power and data with the battery 20 is provided on the main body 10.
Contact terminals 35 protrude from the input/output connector 30 within the main body 10 contacting the battery 20. The contact terminals 35 are positioned on the input/output connector 30 and coupled to a surface of the main board, not shown, by surface mount technology (SMT).
SMT is also used to connect an electronic component to a conductive pattern on a printed circuit board (PCB) by soldering without connecting through an opening in the PCB.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating a detachment/attachment structure of a battery in a conventional mobile terminal.
A power terminal 40 is provided at a terminal block 22 and is coupled to the battery 20. The power terminal 40 provides power exchange between the battery 20 and the main body 10.
An attachment/detachment process of the battery of the conventional mobile terminal is described below.
A user aligns the battery 20 along the battery receiving portion 50 formed on the main body 10, as shown in FIG. 1. The user inserts coupling blocks 60 positioned on a first side of the battery 20 into the recessed portion, not shown, of the battery receiving portion 50. The user positions a lock 25 upon one portion of a second side of the battery 20 by engaging the lock 25. The lock 25 prevents detachment of the battery 20 from the main body 10.
The power terminal 40 of the battery 20 contacts with the contact terminal 35 of the input/output connector 30 from its upper portion to the lower portion. A mobile terminal, such as a folder type handset (not shown), which has a battery connected in an up/down direction as described above, may experience several problems.
For example, when a user handles the mobile terminal, or if the mobile terminal is dropped, the power terminal 40 may lose contact with the contact terminal 35 because of a gap formed between coupling blocks 60 and the recessed portion, not shown, of the battery 20. This loss in contact may result in power to the mobile terminal being undesirably turned-off.
The power terminal 40 of the conventional mobile terminal requires for proper operation additional structures such as a separate terminal block, a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), or the like in the battery 20.
In the conventional mobile terminal, the contact terminal 35 of the input/output connector 30 is restricted in height, typically 1 mm or less, which creates a small contact force. If an exterior of a conventional mobile terminal is deformed, the contact terminals 35 may lose contact with the power terminal 40.
Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus that overcomes the above problems and provides advantages over other mobile terminal battery coupling structures.